Surprise Packages
by Parodys
Summary: Jubilee comes home and life returns to normal..as normal as life gets in the X-universe. Final chapter loaded-7.
1. Presents

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it all belongs to Marvel

A/N: It just popped out one day, today actually and I decided to put it up. Please read it all the way through and give it a chance….hope you like it and as always please read and review.

Presents

By: Parodys

"Treasure each breath, each life, each day for in it exists a miracle that is given once in a lifetime. Embrace it with a passion and let no one take it from you…" anon 

A new blanket of snow had powdered the school the night before and the sun rose, setting the white expanse sparkling. Jubilee smiled, content in the quiet hours of the Christmas morning to just enjoy the beauty. Everyone else was still asleep, and for once she hadn't been able to stay in bed any longer. Giddy at the prospect of a day filled with presents and friends, a big meal and then a trip to Xavier's mansion later that day had Jubilee practically bouncing off the walls. So, she decided to go outside for awhile before waking the others. Heavy boots, mittens and a jacket were donned before she headed out into the brisk cold. Her breath frosted in the air as she skipped outside, sending up great puffs of snow each time she landed.

"Hmph, too powdery for snowballs or forts." A handful of snow was tossed away as the snowball proved too light to stick or throw. Shrugging, she decided to go for a walk in the forest and then come back and wake up the gang for breakfast. Heck, she might even treat them to her extra special omelet surprise even though it had been banned from ever making an appearance again.

Jubilee trekked quietly through the woods, the sunlight trickling through the dense branches, dappling the ground with different patterns of light. Her nose had started to run and get red, and had just about made up her mind to go inside when a shadow fell on her. Sniffling she looked up to see Sabertooth growling at her. Rolling her eyes she wiped her nose carefully before addressing him, taking off her gloves.

"Dude, you do realize that it's Christmas right? This has to be a new low even for you, Fuzzy."

He grinned at her as a tongue whipped out and caught the tiny bit of drool on the side of his mouth. Dropping to a fighting stance he suddenly stood up again. "Fuzzy?"

"Whatever fits. Don't you have anything better to do?"

He shrugged, "I figured I get a present too. I've been saving you for a special day and this is a present to myself."

"Oh goody, just what I've always wanted- to be a present for a overgrown hamster. Is it just me or are you getting awfully soft?"

A low growl rumbled in his throat as he flexed his hands. "I have needs. 'Sides the runt has been getting on my nerves lately. This should sufficiently do it. Let's get on with it, I have a party to get to."

"Fine. Fuzzy." The last word was punctuated by a high-grade paff. Sabertooth easily ducked it, and flung out a leg that hit her in the side, flinging her against a tree. Trying to catch her breath, she tried to push all the nightmares she used to have of him, back down where she wasn't afraid. Sending a series of paffs at him, she rolled away from his descending foot where his foot slammed into only seconds afterwards.

Screaming, he was blinded as each plasma ball hit him in succession, with the power of a small grenade. Panting, she got to her feet and circled him warily while forming a paff the size of a bowling ball in her hands. The ball was tossed at him, just as he had almost recovered. In a rage he jumped at her, pinning her to the ground and missing the paff which hit the tree behind him, sending it into flames.

In pure frustration he pounded her face with his fists, slashing her chest and torso until the ground was soaked in her blood. Grinning in satisfaction, he reached down and whispered in her ear. "Game's over frail. Thanks for the present."

Laughing he slit her throat, watching the blood seep out and her eyes growing wide as she realized what had happened. Gasping, she clutched at her throat trying to stop the flow. Getting up, he licked the blood off of his nail relishing the taste of death that permeated all of his victims right before they died. In all of his life he had yet to taste anything sweeter than what he had in his mouth now. He started to walk off when he heard something behind him. Turning he stared at Jubilee in surprise, who was shakily standing on her feet.

"What the?"

"Game's over when I say it's over, Fuzzy." She spat the last word, her face in a horrible grimace from the pain. Stunned, Sabertooth just stood there curiously. This was something he had never seen before, this girl's utter refusal to die. He didn't have much time to think about it because before he could blink he was hit with the biggest plasma ball Jubilee had every created. Drawing in every last reserve of strength she had, she formed a sphere of plasma around her. Her body tingled with the power surging freely for the first time between herself and the energy she made. Launching herself at Sabertooth, the last thing she saw was the look of utter shock on his face.

"Game and point."

**********

The force of the explosion rocked the school at its very foundation, waking its inhabitants. When the team had gone to investigate, all that remained were some burnt ashes and Jubilee. Shivering in the cold, no one said a word as they took in the damage that had been inflicted on her body. Red snow was everywhere and her face had been so badly beat up that she was barely recognizable. Emma knelt at the girl's side and felt for a pulse, tears welling up in her eyes as she felt nothing.

"It's over."

Paige winced and buried her face in Jono's shoulder, unwilling to see it any longer. Sean swallowed hard, he had seen many things in his time but the pure hatred of what happened here was unspeakable.

"Let's take her home." Taking off his jacket, he placed it over the small form and picked her up in his arms. Her body was still warm, and his heart broke at the thought that if he had only been a few moments earlier, if only the alarms had gone off, if only he had been up a half-hour earlier.

Emma placed a hand on his shoulder, her dark blue eyes bright with unshed tears. *If's won't bring her back, we have to be strong right now.* Nodding, Sean focused on Jubilee lying cradled in his arms. He shivered, and looked at his arms in surprise. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck and arms were standing up, and his scalp tingled. Frowning, he felt the body get warmer and warmer, until he had to place her on the ground because it was so hot.

"What...?"

The air around them literally crackled, as the amount of energy poured into the girl in an incandescent blue light. His jacket was reduced to ashes in seconds, and they watched as her body pulsed and jerked on the ground. Pink color flowed back into her cheeks and the bruises faded, the cuts healing as the blue light flooded into her wounds. Her long black hair turning a deep blue, shimmering in the sunlight as if it glowed. She gasped, forcing a painful breath into her lungs and opened her eyes looking at her friends in confusion. Moaning, she reached out to Sean who knelt beside her in wonder.

"Sean? I feel different..."

Picking the child up, he looked at Emma over her head, who shrugged in disbelief. Angelo, Paige and Jono watched them, grins slowly spreading over their faces.

"What is it?" Jubilee asked curiously as she looked at her teammates, her eyes now an incandescent blue.

Sean smiled and started the walk back to the school. "Sometimes lass, even miracles happen to the likes of us. Let's go home." And the team of friends headed back to their home, grateful that on a day of miracles they had shared in one.

-fin-

Well there it is folks…kinda sappy at the end I know….but please review it and let me know that you thought! Thanks for reading and happy holidays!J


	2. Suprise Packages

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing....sigh...so don't sue.

A/N: Well here it is, hope you enjoy it. Warnings for mild language. Please read and review, comments are always craved and throughly enjoyed. :)

Surprise Packages

By: Parodys

Christmas day at the mansion was one of the few quiet days of the year, where everyone could relax and just enjoy each other's company. All of the teams had arrived earlier that afternoon, with the exception of the youngest members who had yet to show up. Laughing and joking, Charles smiled at his brood roasting marshmallows in the fireplace and dancing to the music that was being played throughout the house. It had been a sad year, with Scott's death, Everett's and his beloved Moira's passing but he had hope for the new year and what it would bring. He hadn't got that far without hope. The telephone rang sharply, and he rolled out into the hallway to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Charles is that you? This is Emma." Her voice shook slightly.

"What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Jubilee was attacked by Sabertooth this morning..."the sounds in the room faded as Emma told him what happened earlier that day. Waving a hand to quiet the room, he listened closely nodding occasionally.

"I'll let them know. Are you sure everything is in hand?"

"Yes, we've checked her thoroughly. Physically she'll be fine. Mentally will be another matter."

"We'll deal with it when it comes. Send her our love." Xavier hung up the phone and looked at his team that had gathered around him. It was one of the hardest things he had to do, looking Wolverine in the eye and telling him that Jubilee had been hurt by Sabertooth.

"No!" Growling, Wolverine ran outside and jumped on his Harley. Within moments his bike was lost in the swirling snow as he disappeared into the howling storm. He was going to his Jubilee.

________________________________________________________________________

Jubilee rubbed her eyes tiredly, looking around the infirmary where she had been cooped up the past two days. She had been poked and prodded, until Sean and Emma had been satisfied that she was okay. Now, they kept on telling her to rest and not to worry. So she was sitting on the bed with nothing to do, and the team kept on acting weird around her. Plus she itched. Everywhere. It reminded her of the time she had chicken pox, only about three times as bad. Emma told her it was just her body adjusting to her newly expanded powers (of which no one wanted to tell her about) and that it would go away in a few days. 

"Hey Jubes! Mind if I visit yah?" Paige walked in, carrying various goodies. "I brought some stuff cause I figured you'd be bored. Here." Mad magazines, candy, a stuffed teddy bear, a gameboy and other things made for a very happy Jubilee. "The others want to come down to, if it's all right."

"Sure thing. Thanks Hayseed, the more the better." Scooting over in the bed, Jubilee made room for Paige who hopped up next to her. Casting a meaningful glare at Sean, 

"Any word as to when I'll be let out from Dr. Frankenstein's clutches?" 

"Right now if you wish. I brought some clothes down for you to change into." Emma came in holding a bundle of clothing. "There's no need to for you to stay down here. Although we will need to have a Danger Room session soon to test the extent of your capabilities. Get dressed and we'll help you upstairs. Come, Sean." Dragging the Irish man outside, the two waited outside for her to get dressed. 

Several minutes later, Jubilee bounced into the living room excited to be out of the infirmary. Pausing mid-bounce, she halted at the door struck by the room that had been done up with Christmas decorations and the tree with presents under it. "Wow."

"Hey Jubes! We decided that since you missed Christmas, we decided to have it a few days late." Ange grabbed her hand and sat her down on the couch in front of the tree. "and we didn't even open any presents without you." 

Laughing gleefully Jubilee dived into the presents and soon wrapping paper, ribbons and bows were flying everywhere. Hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows was made, Emma's gift to the team, a massive tv/stereo soundsystem, was blasting music, and for that brief moment of stolen time, the bad guys faded into the background and the patch of bloodied snow was forgotten.

________________________________________________________________________

Later that week....

Wolverine sauntered up to the school building, a bag in hand having just ridden from Weschester in the grips of a blizzard so he could check out what was happening with 'the Jubilee situation' as they were starting to call it. Cocking his head to the side, he heard faint chords of Limp Bizkit were being played, when the windows on the top floor of the building exploded outwards, sending shards of glass everywhere. Sprinting to the door, he rammed on the wood to get someone to open the locked door. Sirens wailed inside the house as smoke began to filter through the cracks in the door. he was about ready to break down the door, when Emma opened it calmly.

"What the hell's going on?" growling he stalked inside, dropping his bag on the floor.

Pressing a remote, the sirens stopped and Emma looked upstairs as she started opening windows. "Jubilee is what's going on. She's had a bit of trouble controlling her new powers."

"How much trouble?"

Emma sighed, brushing some ashes off of her white suit. "Let's just say that we've had to replace the upstairs windows once, no now two times, the downstairs once, several doors and almost all of the electrical equipment we have." Glancing upstairs, she looked at the smoke coming from upstairs. "And Angelo's CD player, the last remaining one in the house I believe."

"Where is she? I want to see her. Is she okay? I heard a little bit about what happened. Chuck didn't get a chance to tell me all of it." Nervously popping his claws in and out, he absently picked at the table in the foyer.

"She's better than that antique you're destroying." Sliding the object out of his reach, she motioned for him to follow her. "We had security cameras running when it happened two days ago." Emma led him downstairs to the council room where she slipped a CD into the console. Before pressing start, she peered at him intently. "You should know that this isn't pretty, we found her for all intents and purposes dead. Be prepared for the worst."

Nodding, Wolverine clenched his fists. "I can handle it, Frost. Show me the tape."

"Fine." She started the security tape, where it began with Sabertooth emerging from the trees.

"Him!" The word was hissed between clenched teeth. Not blinking, his eyes never left the screen, not even after Sabertooth had started slashing her body. Trembling with fury he sat through the rest of it, his eyes going wide at the site of Jubilee launching herself at Sabertooth, and the ensuing explosion. Several minutes later it ended, and the CD popped out of the drive. Taking the silver disc in his hand, Wolverine fingered the smooth disc.

"It's all my fault. He never would have gone after her if it hadn't been for me. All he wanted was revenge and he was...did kill her for it. God, what the hell did you let happen to her?"

Her temper flared as Wolverine started to head upstairs, "Listen to me, Logan. Do you think that I don't blame myself? She almost died under my care and by some miracle she managed to survive. You of all people should know that she is strong enough to handle herself. Jubilee did it in the X-men and she has more than proved herself with Generation X. Give the girl some credit."

"Out of my way, Frost." Roughly shoving the woman aside, Wolverine bounded up the stairs and outside. Ignoring the bitter cold, he ran towards the woods, haunted by demons only he could hear.

It wasn't hard to find the place, the stench of death was embedded in the very soil. Skidding to a halt, Wolverine just stared at the clearing, his breath coming in short, harsh gasps.

His nose flared as he gingerly walked closer, careful not to disturb the snow and all that it contained. Deep claw marks in the trees were all the evidence he needed for proof that Sabertooth had been there. Most of the ashes had been blown away but small traces of it remained and he wiped his finger in it. Bringing the ash up to his nose, his heartrate spiked as he recognized the scent. Years of hating the man, the beast and there wasn't enough left of him to make a smudge on the ground. Brushing the dust off his hands, he knelt at the indentation still left in the snow, red still coloring the once pristine whiteness.

Grabbing a fistful of frozen blood in his hand, he screamed out to the world in fury. "Goddamn you!" His vision went red as it melted in his hands, and his only thought was that once again, he had failed to protect her. snkit His claws popped out and he descended in a rampage that reduced the surrounding trees to splinters, each blow aimed at a Sabertooth he could never kill.

A soft footfall sounded behind him, and he whirled around, his blades stopping only millimeters from Jubilee's face. She stood unflinching, and reached up pushing his arm down. "It's over Wolvie."

Turning away from her, Wolverine paced the clearing. "I'm so sorry Darlin. I didn't think, it's my fault..."

"You don't control the actions of that psycho do ya? It wasn't anybody's fault what happened."

Wolverine shook his head, "I shoulda known. I shoulda been there for ya."

"Ya know, for a cool guy you're acting like a dork right now." Walking up to him, she wormed her way under his arm so that he had his arm around her. "It ain't your job to protect me anymore. I gotta do it for myself. Sides, you're here now and this is when ya need ya." Standing nose to nose with him she stared at Wolverine her bright eyes forcing down his barriers until one tear trickled down his face. Breaking, she clutched him, burrowing her head in his neck, her tears soaking his collar. Her hand clenched his shirt as she shivered violently. "Just hold me."

Picking her up in his arms, Wolverine walked back to the house. "Yeah, I'm here now. Want to talk about it?"

"I killed him. I mean I know he was a bad guy and everything but I didn't want to kill him. It was only when I knew that I was gonna...gonna...that I decided to throw everything at him. Sabertooth may have been going to kill me but I wasn't going to let him do it to the team. He didn't set off the alarms or anything so they wouldn't have known, right?" Her eyes pled with him to agree, to say yes, to stop the doubt plaguing her mind, that she had done the right thing.

"Ya did what you had to do, Jubes. It wasn't easy but you did it and I'm proud of ya. Very proud of ya." Laying her head on his chest, she said nothing, still haunted by the act she did. "Now let's get you inside 'fore you get sick."

Shrugging Jubilee grabbed a handful of snow off a tree branch, the powdery white stuff giving her an idea. "I can't feel it really. But I bet you can!" Gleefully shoving it down his collar, she laughed as he dropped her trying to get the snow out.

"Yer gonna get it kid!" Running after her, Wolverine threw a snowball at her that landed on her face. "Gotcha!"

Jubilee brushed the snow off, and hurled a handful of snow at him which he ducked. The snowball whizzed past his head and exploded in the tree behind it sending it to tree heaven. Shaking, Jubilee clutched at her hands and glanced fearfully at Wolverine who had been sent flying by the blast into the ground.

"Wolvie, you okay?"

"Yep, nothing to worry about." Shaking off the snow, he cheerfully got up and walked over to where Jubilee was standing.

"Get away from me! I almost killed you." Backing away from the man, she began to run to the house.

"Jubes, it's okay. Damn." Watching her retreating figure, he ran towards her. "Come back here." Grabbing her by the waist, he held on the furious squirming mass of teenager. "Accidents happen, and they're going to until you learn how to control your powers."

"Let go, I don't want to hurt you." Struggling she burst free, heading as fast as she could away from him. Tears blurring her vision, she kept on going until she couldn't hear him anymore. Wiping her eyes, she glanced behind her only to find that she was now about a hundred feet off the ground. "Wow." Her face turned a bright pink as the realization hit her...she could finally fly! Looking around her, a second realization kicked in; she had no idea how she did it and began to plummet to the earth "Oh, crap."

Waving her arms, she tried to remember the class Sean had taught about the mechanics of flight in mutants. There had been some basic principles involved somewhere...but when the ground is rushing up at you it's sometimes hard to think. Screaming, she pushed up with all of her might and halted the fall where she hovered about a foot off of the ground. Speechless, the team had rushed outside to see what was going on and had seen Jubilee commit another near death defying feat. Emma had collapsed on the ground in a fit of hysterics, and Sean and Wolverine looked like they were ready to faint. Poking experimentally at the foot of air beneath her, Jubilee shrugged at the rest of the team who were grinning at her.

"Anyone know how to get me down?"


	3. Nightmares

Disclaimer: Marvel owns it all…sniff.

A/N: Sorry for it taking so long…hope this is halfway decent! 

The moonlight's rays shone through the windows of the main staircase as Jubilee padded silently down the stairs. No sounds could be heard except of the winds rustling through the trees and Jubilee's light breaths. Another night haunted with nightmares had left Jubilee awake, staring outside her window for a figure that only appeared in her dreams. It was that figure that made her sit up night after night, keeping watch. The chilly breeze made her shiver slightly, not out of the cold but out of habit. After that fateful morning she had been left with an elevated body temperature that was almost impervious to the cold, and iridescent hair that was shimmering slightly in the dark. Her eyes bore a hole into the night, glowing eerily back at her from her mirror. Glow in the dark eyes, she thought bitterly. Eyes of the devil. A nighttime jaunt to the bathroom bumping into Paige on the stairs had freaked the poor girl out and no matter how many times Paige had apologized for her reaction, it still stung every time Jubilee thought about it. This night, the restlessness had gotten the better of her and three flights later, Jubilee arrived at the Danger Room and entered the dark room.

The doors slid shut with a hiss, and she looked around at the starting program of a gym. "Computer, start Wolverine training program Level 4, safety protocols off. Authorized Summers 890." Ignoring the slight pang of guilt from using Scott's access code Jubilee steeled herself, crouching down, her eyes flickering as she waited for it to start. The scene shifted to a heavily forested area, and her heart jumped as she suddenly realized what the program was.

"Hey frail." The low, grating voice ran shivers down her spine, and she looked up to see Sabertooth grinning at her. "Can't get enough can ya?"

"Somethin like that." Still crouched, she formed four balls in her hands and without warning shot up and over him. Landing behind him she barely had time to launch the balls at him before he leaped towards her, claws flailing. His nails raked down the side of her arm and she hissed in pain.

Sabertooth grinned and swiped again as she rolled out from reach. Sparing a glance at her arm, Jubilee saw the purple mist swirling around her arm and sealing the cuts. She flexed it and suddenly curious, stood still.

Meanwhile upstairs, Wolverine snorted awake aware of something vaguely off with the world. Scratching his chest thoughtfully, he walked outside his room to find Emma peering into the student's rooms. "Never took ya for a peepin tom, Emma." He growled.

Emma jumped and had the decency to blush. "Something's wrong with one of the children but I can't place it. I wanted to make sure that they were safe."

"Are they?"

"I only have Jubilee's left to do." She replied and poked her head in the doorway. Swearing she swung it open to reveal an empty bed. "Dammit!"

Not bothering to answer, Wolverine picked up the scent and within minutes they were downstairs outside of the Danger Room. Quickly overriding the security code, Emma opened the door just in time to see Sabertooth slash open Jubilee's chest. "End program!" she ran over to Jubilee, as the girl fell to her knees, blood pouring from the wounds in her chest. Yanking off her robe, she held it to the girl's chest as she called out to Sean. *We need you here right now. Jubilee's been hurt.*

The sheer robe was soon soaked, and Wolverine shook his head in disbelief. "She was using my training programs without the safety on. What the hell was she thinking?"

Emma shook her head, and continued pressing against the wounds; in what she was beginning to suspect was a futile gesture. Her hand began to tingle and she looked down to see the purple mist swirling around her fingers. The wounds started to seal shut and Emma dropped the soaking cloth to the floor. "Look." She whispered.

Logan glanced at Jubilee's torso from where he was holding her head. Within minutes her flesh was pink and unscarred, and Jubilee took a deep breath in. Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times, the glow clearly evident in the darkened room. Smiling slightly she ran a hand down her stomach, and touched Emma's hand that was resting on her bellybutton.

"Wow, it worked."

It was hard to say who was angrier, Emma, whose face had gone a sheet white, or Logan, who had gone more of a deep red color. Wincing Jubilee glanced from one face to the other, as she was roughly hauled to her feet and dragged to the Med. Lab. Unceremoniously sitting her down on the examining table, Emma took a few deep shuddering breaths as she tried to regain her composure.

"I have never seen such a careless disregard..."

"What the hell were ya thinkin? Ya could've been..."

"Not once, not twice, but three times you have thrown caution to the wind and..."

"Without the safety on? Did you want to die?"

"You could have died! Wasn't once enough for you?"

Jubilee winced as she looked from one irate face to the other. "I just wanted to see if...well my arm got slashed and it healed. I wondered how far it would go."

Emma's voice dropped an octave and she became extremely calm. "So this was in the nature of an experiment?"

"Sort of." Jubilee twirled her hair around her finger nervously. "I don't want to be in a fight with powers I can't be sure of. At least this way I know how much I can do."

"Oh, of course. It's perfectly clear. How about we try bullets next? Or maybe a bomb or two?" 

Jubilee sighed, this was not turning out like she had hoped. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she shrugged. "I want to know what my limits are."

"Frankly I think you're testing ours. Jubilee, I..."

The doors slid open and a slightly disheveled Sean walked in. Taking the scene in with one glance, he took Emma and Wolverine by the arm. "Yer upset, the lass is upset, and both of ya need time to cool down and look at this objectively. Go back to bed and I'll take care of the lass." With the ease that came after five years of working with Emma, he gently manipulated them out of the room. As the door closed behind the two, Jubilee could faintly hear Emma say. "Honestly, I try so hard." and Wolverine murmur knowingly "I know, I know." Mentally balking away from the image of Emma and Wolverine getting along, Jubilee sat on the bed and waited for Sean to say something.

"Well lass."

"Yep."

"I'm guessing that yer pretty upset with something or you wouldn't have done it. Care to tell me why you had the program on with no safeties on?"

Jubilee jumped off the table exasperated. "I don't know! Okay? No clue whatsoever. Maybe I figured that if I dealt with Sa..sabe...that man one more time it would end the nightmares. Maybe I was tired of having Paige freak out in the middle of the night everytime we bump into each other because my are all freaky looking. Maybe I wanted to see if my living wasn't some weird accident. I don't know Sean. I know it sounds stupid but after all this time of being able to pass for everybody else, it's kind of hard to get used to it all."

Stifling a yawn, Sean embraced the girl and rubbed her back until she stopped shivering. "How about this, you and I train together. You'll learn how to use yer powers step by step until you are proficient at it. I'll stay in the observation room so you don't have to worry about me getting hurt. What do ya say?"

The girl smiled up at him, her face lighting up. "Sounds…cool."


	4. Training

Disclaimer: Marvel owns the characters…you know the drill.  
  


A/N: Boy, when you get hit with ideas….again I apologize for the huge lapse in time from when I first put this out and when I updated it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed it was greatly appreciated and the feedback fairy is very happy!________________________________________________________________________  
Place: Danger Room 

Time: a couple of days after Chapter 3  
  


Shissssttt  
  


The door closed behind Jubilee with a finality she wasn't all together comfortable with. She was dressed in a new uniform, black spandex that enabled her mist to flow freely, her hair tied up in a ponytail and a slightly worried expression on her face. Up in the observation room, Sean was manning the booth while Emma and Wolverine were hovering nearby, reminding him uncomfortably of overly concerned parents. The rest of the team, after learning that Jubilee was going to be trying to destroy had all remembered urgent appointments several miles away from the campus. 

"Ready lass?"  
  


Jubilee nodded curtly and formed a plasma ball in her hand. "Let er rip."  
  


Sean smiled slightly and a few seconds later a target popped up on the far wall across from her. Still looking around, Jubilee glanced up at him. "Well?"  
  


"There it is."  
  


"You want me to hit the target?" Disbelief dripped from her voice as she put her hands on her hips.  
  


"Aye."  
  


"With my powers?"  
  


"Aye, lass."  
  


"And hit and the target."  
  


Slightly exasperated Sean nodded. " Yes, I want ye to hit the target."  
  


Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes. "Have you been here at all these past few weeks?"  
  


Wolverine snorted, and Sean glared at him. "I want ye to hit the target in the middle, not to destroy it. Give it a try."  
Sighing dramatically, Jubilee cocked her finger and blast erupted from her hand. Needless to say, the target was disintegrated. "See Sean? This is stupid. I can get the bad guy, why the hell do I need to hit a dot 5 inches wide?"  
  


"Because finesse is also needed. Do it again, and this time I want you to concentrate on using a confined beam. Picture it in your mind, you have totally control over your body, you just have to learn how to achieve it." The target materialized on the wall and Jubilee took aim again. Frowning, a thin beam shot from her hand, missed the target by three feet and bounced off the wall to explode harmlessly on the floor. Before Sean could say anything, another confined blast exploded from her finger, this time hitting the bulls-eye dead center. Jubilee cocked her eyebrow at him with a smirk. 

"Good job. Do it again."

-Several hours later-  
  


Sean sipped his coffee as he watched Jubilee train. Once she had discovered new levels to her power she had refused to stop. She had progressed step by step until she was able to form various concentrations of blasts, beams and paffs and aim them with remarkable accuracy. As far as Sean could figure, her healing factor had increased her endurance level, which far exceeded any of her previous performances. This was probably why, five hours into her training, she hadn't paused to take a break. Down in the danger room, Jubilee was currently in a jungle sim, fighting sentinels. She ducked and rolled under the foliage evading her attackers with grace and ease. As the last sentinel exploded in scrap metal, Jubilee held up her hand and Sean paused the sim looking at her expectantly. 

"Sean, while target practice and frying sentinel are fun I want to fly. This would be a hell..."  
  


"Language, Darlin." Wolverine muttered sleepily from his seat.  
  


"Heck of a lot easier if I could fly."  
  


"Fine." Sean shut down the jungle scene and Jubilee was left standing in the bare white walls of the Danger Room. "Do ye remember anything from the lessons?" Sean saw her face flush slightly and answered himself. "Of course not. Basically flight is the same for all mutants, there has to be something propelling you, pushing you away from the ground. When you flew outside the last time what happened?"

  
Jubilee shrugged. "I had to get away and the next thing I knew I was flying...and falling." she added thoughtfully. "I only stopped when I pushed up really hard from the ground."  
  


"Right..." Sean scratched his stubbled face thoughtfully and frowned down at the console. Before Jubilee could react the ground dissolved beneath her and she was plummeting through space to a fast increasing ground. She screamed and pushed up with all of her might but the wind still rushed past. Frantically searching her brain, she remembered the file that she had pulled up once on herself just after she had joined the X-men. It had said something about her being able to explode things on a subatomic level. Maybe if she created a series of miniature explosions under her…sweat beaded on her brow as she concentrated. Her feet and legs began have a slight burning sensation, and suddenly as if something had been ignited she shot up into the air. A huge grin on her face, she flew forward and did a somersault in the air. Around the lower part of her legs and feet, swirls of multicolored energy weaved around her, pushing her forward. 

It took a few tries before she was able to fly without thinking about it and even longer before she learned how to stop without falling to the ground. More than once Jubilee had found herself slamming into the ceiling, wall, and floor headfirst as tried to slow down. After the first encounter, Sean quickly programmed the computer to produce padding on the walls. Letting her enjoy the new sensation for a few minutes, Sean finally stopped the program.  
  


"Good job lass. It's been a long day and let's take a break. We can start up tomorrow morning." Sean nudged Emma and Wolverine awake. "We're done, let's go."  
  


Yawning, both Emma and Wolverine filed out followed by Sean. Walking down, Sean patted Jubilee on the back. Her hair and uniform were drenched in sweat, and she was breathing hard as she walked out of the Danger Room. "Ye did a good job Jubilee, I'm proud of you."  
  


Wolverine grinned at her and ruffled her hair. "Ya did good kid." 

Emma nodded in agreement. "Indeed, your perseverance has seemed to pay off. I didn't think you could progress so far in just a day."  
  


Jubilee shrugged nonchalantly. "Well when you're as great as I am, it's pretty easy. Besides, now I can fly. I can't wait to show the guys!"  
  


"No." Jubilee looked at Sean in surprise. "I don't want ye using yer powers before you've been properly trained. Sure, you've had a good session but you've only been working at it for a day. I told you, we're going to take it one step at a time."  
  


"But Seeaaannnn..." Tired, hungry and thirsty Jubilee was not above a little whining to get her way. 

"No, and until we've ascertained that you have control, you're off the missions."  
  


"What?!?" Jubilee gaped at him in shock. "That is so unfair."  
  


"Sean is that really necessary?" Emma said softly.  
  


"I won't have the team compromised because she can't control her powers..." Sean trailed off as Jubilee, near tears stormed out followed by Wolverine. Emma pursed her lips and said quietly. "I am the last person that should tell you what you're doing is wrong but keep in mind that she's fragile right now and we don't want to break her."  
  


Sean rubbed his neck wearily, his green eyes troubled. "I know, Em, but I don't want her in danger until she is in control. No one gets a handle on their powers in one day, it takes weeks of training."  
  


"Perhaps," Emma shrugged delicately. "But maybe we aren't dealing with everyone else either."

"And how long do you think she's going to listen to me anyway?" Sean said tiredly.  
  


Upstairs, Jubilee was in the kitchen burrowing in the fridge for food. Ignoring Wolverine she pulled out bread, meat, fruit, chips, soda, pickles and set about making several sandwiches. Angrily slapping on some mayonnaise on the bread, Jubilee tore open the packages of cheese and meat. "Darlin.."  
  


"Don't, just don't."  
  


"Don't what Jubes?"  
  


"Don't tell me how this is for my own good, and in the end it'll be worth it."  
  


"Alright, but maybe you aren't ready to be back on active status."

Jubilee glared at him. "How can you say that?"

"Darlin, just a few hours ago you were upset enough to let the program slash you open."  
  


"I was just seeing how far my healing factor worked." Jubilee avoided his eyes and carefully layered the cheese and lettuce onto the roast beef.  
  


Wolverine reached out and turned Jubilee's face to him, and looked directly into her eyes. "You and I both know that's not what you were doing."  
  


A lone tear trailed down her cheek as she tried to avoid his eyes. "Wolvie..."  
  


"It ain't worth it, Darlin. Nothing is worth it and I've lost more than I care to count. Killing one man, sick as he was, isn't worth it. Don't let him win."  
  


A sob escaped from her chest, as she dropped the knife she was holding. Choking, she clutched at him, sobbing into the soft flannel of his shirt. His heart wrenching for the girl, Wolverine held her tight, murmuring softly into her ear. He had come to save his girl and now the only thing he could do was hold her as she cried. Inwardly he sighed, and wondered yet again what the cost of Sabertooth's death would have on the girl.  
  


-fin-


	5. A little...fun

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters and any likeness to any real people is purely coincidental.

A/N: I'm giving Jubes a break so enjoy! And please read and review. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, it really motivates me to keep on writing! J

Chapter 5

Parodys

"I'm bored! French is boring, verbs are boring and if I have to conjugate another freaking verb I'm going to scream!" A vehemently tossed pencil exploded dramatically on the wall. It was not the first.

"Indeed. What would you rather do then?" Emma mentally calculated how long it was until her next aspirin, as she kept a smile plastered on her face.

Jubilee regarded the tall pile of books gracing her desk. "Unless it involves comics or MTV I don't want to do it." 

Emma suppressed a sigh. Honestly, she was trying. _Really_. However, before the day was up, she was going to kill someone, preferably a red-haired Irishman that had copped out by taking the rest of the team on a field trip.

"Field trip my ass." Emma muttered under her breath.

"What?" Jubilee looked at her suspiciously. Ever since her powers had manifested, Jubilee had been tutored privately until her control was better. And since the toaster had just exploded that morning, her pleas to go along had fallen on deaf ears. So, Emma and Jubilee had been left by themselves, while Wolverine had headed to the nearest bar to kill some time. Neither female was thrilled about the situation.

"Nothing, how about some math, or history, or geography?" Flipping through the books, Emma listed them off, each one sounding more boring than the last. 

Jubilee twirled a finger around her hair, staring at it for a second like she did every time she noticed it. "No, I've been inside all week, can't we do something…fun"

Alarms bells went off at the last word, but Emma firmly shoved them down with the thought that Sean could clean up the mess when he got back. "What do you have in mind?"

"Flying?" If eyes could glow pathetically, Jubilee had mastered the art. Bright, blue eyes blinked at Emma, and Jubilee smiled winningly. "It'd be exercise, I can practice my powers _and_ it'll be educational as soon as I figure out how."

Emma shrugged. "Fine with me. Go change into your uniform and I'll meet you downstairs." With a loud yell, Jubilee thundered up the stairs. Ignoring the niggling of doubt in her stomach, Emma went down to the Danger room and started setting up Jubilee's flight program. A few minutes later, Jubilee burst into the room and looked expectantly at Emma. "Let's do this!"

The program started, and Sean's voice echoed across the room. "Flying is a grand way for mutants to travel, but also a responsibility. The basic assumptions start with orbital mechanics and beginner's physics. Now, Newton's law of gravity states that…" Emma shut the sim down with a look of horror.

"I thought he was joking when he talked about this." She shook her head. "How about you do what you want and we'll see what happens."

The girl nodded and the purple mist began to swirl around her legs. Emma watched with interest as Jubilee rose into the air with a smug smile on her face. "See? I can do this. Sean just doesn't think so."

"He's worried about you over-extending yourself. What happens if you're hundreds of feet up in the air and you get tired? There's nothing to catch you if you fall." She held up her hand at Jubilee's face. "And there is also the issue of control. Whether you like it or not, you have tremendous power now and you still have problems with it. This morning's toaster is one thing, but what happens if next time it's a city block?"

Jubilee flew up the glass. "Why won't you people believe that I can do this stuff? I took Sabertooth on when I had nothing left and you think that I can't get enough energy to stop a fall?"

"Jubil…"

"You guys constantly treat me like this baby and I'm tired of it! So I accidentally blow electrical stuff up once in awhile. Give me a break, remember when Paige crashed the entire computer system with that stupid security program of hers? Or how about when Jono took off the entire west section of the girls' dorm? I'm 16, not 5 and I don't deserve to be shut up in this stupid room the rest of my life because I'm still learning about myself. I know how to be careful."

Emma raised an eyebrow, and looked inquiringly at the girl. "Are you finished?"

Pouting a little, Jubilee glared at her. "Yes."

"Good, go get dressed. This session is over, I will meet you upstairs in the foyer in fifteen minutes." Emma walked off, pointedly turning her back on Jubilee who was spluttering in rage. Before the girl could say anything, she glanced back at the girl. "If you paused for one moment to think of anything other than ways of killing me, you would realize that we are going out."

"Out?"

Emma nodded. "Out, as in outside the campus walls. I think it's time we both had some fun."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ten minutes later Jubilee arrived in the foyer, wearing baggy jeans, a tank top, and blue tinted glasses that Forge had made for her so that her eyes wouldn't show. Jubilee had commented as she put them on for the first time. "Punk blue hair works, but the eyes just tend to freak people out." Emma in turn had slipped into one of her more casual pantsuit sets, and smiled as Jubilee entered.

"Ready?"

"Yep!"

Emma gave Jubilee's outfit the once over, but said nothing despite the fact that it was well below freezing. The limo slid around to the front and the two quickly entered the plush interior. Sam, the driver, slid down the partition and smiled. "Where can I take you today Ms Frost?"

The older woman shrugged. "Ask Jubilee, I doubt that dinner at The Oak, a mere five star restaurant would be appealing. Take us where she wants to go, this is her day."

Jubilee grinned widely and whispered in Sam's ear, as he chuckled to himself. Twenty minutes later, they arrived and Jubilee burst out of the limo pulling Emma behind her.

"Welcome to Bubba's Emporium of Tattoos and Body Piercing!" Jubilee announced gleefully. Emma just stood and stared at the building, for once speechless. The two of them walked into the large room, their footsteps echoing with the high vaulted ceiling. Walls had been covered with designs, as well as freestanding display boards that were placed throughout the large room. Skylights lit the room, and Jubilee was practically bouncing in excitement. Emma, on the other hand, was wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into.

"Well." She said softly.

"As if I was going to bring you to some hole in the wall! This is all safe and everything, this is where I got my eyebrow pierced that one time."

"They did a good job." Emma said faintly. Suddenly the exact location hit her. "A tattoo parlor? You want to get a tattoo?"

Jubilee nodded distractedly as she looked over the huge selection. "Yeah, have been for awhile now but I need a guardian's permission. Hence where you come in."

"You would do this when I made a promise." The older woman sighed and Jubilee's face fell. "But, I did promise. Let's do it under the realization that tattoos are permanent and I am not paying for you to have it removed. Understand?"

"YES!!!" Jubilee punched the air and a few paffs hit the ceiling. Blushing slightly, she glanced around, but no one seemed to have noticed. Emma sighed again, and took Jubilee over the counter where a young woman was rearranging some body rings.

"My…daughter wants her first tattoo and I want to make sure it's safe."

The woman smiled at them and handed her a brochure. "It's safe alright, we make it our top priority. That's why we're more expensive than the other places. We use new inks, new needles, and our artists wear gloves to ensure that everything is kept as hygienic as possible." 

Emma gave the brochure a cursory glance as she scanned the woman's mind. Satisfied that she was telling the truth, she motioned for Jubilee to talk to her. "Fine, what kind of design did you want?"

Jubilee dug around in her pocket and produced a piece of paper. "Ange drew it for me when we were talking about tattoos a week or so ago. He said that that he had thought of it one night, and it seemed to suit me." Pressing the design flat, she revealed a yin/yang sing without the inner dots, that was morphed into a sun so that rays came out from the circle. "I want it about the size of a half-dollar, and put right here, she indicated the nape of her neck. 'What do you think?" she asked Emma.

"I think," Emma smiled. "I think that it is very appropriate. Remind me to thank Angelo some day."

"Then that's what I want." The woman nodded and led the two of them back to a room where a middle-aged woman was waiting for them. 

"Hi, I'm Laura. I hear this is your first tattoo?" Jubilee nodded. "Then there are some things you need to know…"

Emma walked flipped through a magazine as Laura talked to Jubilee. The magazine was about body piercing and it showed some of the more popular things that were done. Gazing thoughtfully at one picture, she glanced at the woman who was just finishing her talk. 

"I'll be back, I just have to go take care of something." Quickly slipping out of the room before Jubilee could protest, she grabbed a girl who was walking by. "I decided to get something done..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

An hour later, Jubilee and Emma were both wearing similar expressions of discomfort as the waiter seated them at The Oak. Jubilee had insisted they eat there as a thank you to Emma. After the waiter had gotten their orders, Jubilee raised an eyebrow at Emma who was looking extremely smug.

"Okay, what did you get done after you left?"

Emma merely shook her head. "As if I would get a tattoo, the idea is preposterous!" 

'Then what _did_ you get?" 

A smirk crossed her face, and motioning for Jubilee to lean in closer, she exposed a small portion of her stomach, where a glint of gold flashed. Putting her finger to her lips, Emma grinned back at the girl who was starting to snicker.

"Sean's going to love it!"

Emma just replied. "And just how do you think Logan is going to take yours?"" 

-fin-

I thought I would give the girls some fun and for those of you still not sure…Emma got a belly ring. The tattoo was something I found a few years ago, that one of my friends drew. She said it symbolized the eternal struggle for balance and the new things that would come of it once it was achieved. I thought that summed up Jubilee pretty well! So until the next part…have fun!


	6. Balance

Disclaimer: sigh…Marvel owns the characters…what more do you want? Superman comics are owned by DC comics and I am making nothing off of this…got that? Nada!

A/N: I pre-apologize for this angst fest that is about to occur, I swear this is that last time I listen to Fuel and write fanfic. (By the way I don't own them either!) 

Chapter 6

Parodys

"Wicked!" Angelo carefully brushed her hair away from her neck to peek under the bandage. "I still can't believe that Emma actually went along with it."

"You're not the only one, I thought she was going to bail for a few minutes there." Jubilee tied her hair up in a ponytail and then turned to lie on her stomach on Angelo's bed. Angelo was leaning against his headboard, "Thanks for the design by the way."

"Es nada. Like I said, it suited you. Has Wolverine seen it yet?"

Shrugging, Jubilee looked at him. "Nope."

"You're not worried at all?"

"Nope."

Angelo bent down to look her in the eye. "And why is that?"

"He understands me."

"JUBILEE! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" 

Jubilee rolled her eyes, and got off the bed. "Sean on the other hand…"

Angelo winced sympathetically. "Is going to have a coronary."

"Oh yeah."

The two teenagers went downstairs where Sean was having, to put it mildly, was absolutely furious. His face was a bright tomato red, that it tended to get when he was really angry. At Jubilee's appearance, he latched onto her presence and zoomed towards her. 

"Ye got a tattoo? Did ye not even think to ask for my permission?" Little bits of spittle flew from his mouth, and Jubilee took one step to the side.

"I got Emma's."

Sean turned on Emma with the tenacity of a bulldog. "Ye let her get a tattoo? What the hell were ye thinking woman?"

Emma's eye flashed and she stepped up the furious man. "First of all call me woman again, and I won't be the only one here that can sing soprano. Second, if I choose to let her get a tattoo, then it's my business and hers. Third, she's sixteen so get over yourself."

"What kind did the lass get?" Sean muttered.

"666, Sean." The Irishman started the splutter and she skipped down the stairs to show him her bandage. "Please, it's kind of like that yin yang symbol. Chill."

Sean inspected the black outline suspiciously as Wolverine walked in the door. 

"What the hell's going on?"

"She's," Sean pointed triumphantly at Jubilee's exposed neck. "Gotten a tattoo."

Wolverine shot a glance at the design and then looked at Jubilee's face. "Ya like it Darlin?"

"Yep."

"Good." Wolverine then turned to Sean who was beginning to squirm. "Lemme get this straight, Jubes got a tattoo…"

"With Emma's permission." Angelo added from his position next to Jubilee.

"Regardless, it's her body to do with as she chooses and if she wants to get a flamin dragon plastered across her back that's her choice."

"She's just a child!" 

"She's sixteen and in two years can legally do whatever the hell she wants." Shrugging Wolverine placed a hand protectively on her shoulder. "Lay off."

Sean was furious as he faced Wolverine. "In two years she can do whatever she wants. Today, however, she is under my supervision and I am the one who has to look after her and make sure that she is okay. It's so easy for you to come in and look like the hero one week out of the year and make the rest of us look like the evil guardians. While she is under my care she will have to follow rules just like everyone else."

Jubilee leapt forward just in time to restrain Wolverine from attacking Sean. She turned to Sean. "I can't be this thing that you control Sean, everyone realizes it but you. I've spent my entire life defending myself, surviving on my own and all of a sudden you turn total Mother hen on me and I can't do anything on my own anymore." Jubilee took a ragged breath. "I know that you're worried about me and stuff but I can't be cooped up the rest of my life here, protected by you."

Sean reached out to hold her but she stepped back, he held out his hand and said softly. "Lass, ye died."

Blood rushed in her ears, and Jubilee started shaking. "Whatever happens it always comes down to that doesn't it? You died. You might have died. You should have died. That's what you're all thinking isn't it? I should have died like Sabertooth when I killed him. God, I killed him. Ha! God. God wouldn't let me kill someone and still live to remember it. No matter what, I never wanted to kill anyone and now you're all afraid that I might do it again."

Tears poured down her cheeks as she walked around oblivious to the rest of them. Sparks exploded around her hands as she waved them around. Wolverine made a move to go to her but Emma restrained him. "She needs this."

Wiping her nose and eyes clumsily with the back of her hand, Jubilee started to rock back and forth. "I didn't want him to die, honest. He was going to kill you guys when he was done with me. I could see it in his eyes, he was so angry with me. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Wolvie." Her mentor choked as she looked up at him, her eyes swirling with tortured emotions. "I need to go, to think. There are two many people here, too many people judging." she trailed off softly regarding the people surrounding her. Before anyone could say anything, she went over to Angelo and gave him a hug. Her face was still wet from the salty tears, and it left a damp mark on his shoulder. 

"Jubecita." he murmured softly. Jubilee smiled at him, grateful that he hadn't given her platitudes on being careful and safe.

"Ange." She replied and without another word, walked out the door and flew off. The four of them stood at the door watching her leave, expressions of amazement on the adults' faces. Emma quickly reached out to scan for the girl but met firm walls that she couldn't breach. Wolverine glanced at her and she shook her head, he turned to Angelo who was watching the sky with a smile on his face.

"Where do ya think she went?"

Angelo shrugged. "No clue, probably where she's sure that no one will bother her."

"And where do ye think that might be?"

"I don't know, and if I did I wouldn't be much of a friend if I told you." With that the teenager walked upstairs to his room, and sat down heavily on his bed. Reaching down to pick a comic off the floor, he noticed what page it was on. Smiling to himself, he settled back and finished reading the Superman comic. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jubilee breathed in the crisp, pure air with a smile. Her bare feet were buried under a layer of snow, and she wiggled her toes in the soft substance with pleasure. They tingled slightly, but there were no other effects from the artic conditions she was currently in. Instinct had driven her east and higher, and she had ended up at the highest peaks in the Himalayan range just north of India. She had pushed herself to reach these remote summits and now she was just sitting, taking in the panoramic view in front of her. The sun was intense; it felt incredibly right to sit perched on a rock, thousands of feet up in the air. Jubilee sighed deeply, and felt the air shift slightly.

Turning to look at her, Jubilee saw Sabertooth sitting next to her. Acknowledging his presence with a slight nod, she turned back to the view. 

"I won't have ya feelin guilty fer beatin me girl." 

"Oh, and why not?" Jubilee regarded the large man beside her.

"Fair's fair. It was either you or me. Ya won, fair and square."

"I know, but I never wanted to kill you."

"It was that or die, why are ya beatin yourself up over wanting to live?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, ya are and ya know it. Life's a big game and sometimes people win and sometimes they lose. I lost and you won, don't make it the other way around."

"I don't have to feel good about it either."

Sabertooth shrugged his massive shoulders. "Yeah, but don't spend the rest of yer life punishin yourself either."

Jubilee squinted in the bright sunlight and peered at him. "All this coming from a dream, so are you real or am I?"

"I don't know, but you know all of this anyway."

"Yeah."

"Are you going home?"

"In a little bit, I'm just enjoying the view." Jubilee reached out and tentatively touched his arm. "Will I see you again?" 

Snow fell softly, as Sabertooth got up and began to walk away. "I don't think so, I've done what I need to do and you still have a lot left. Fight well, frail." His body disappeared in a blast of wind and snow and Jubilee woke up with a start. She looked around but found that she was alone, smiling she looked out at the world, for the first time at peace. 

-fin-

A/N: This actually started as one story and somehow it blossomed into six parts. I'm willing to bet that the next chapter will be the last…so, please r&r and let me know what you thought!


	7. Battle Scars

Disclaimer: You guys all know the drill...none of its mine, but boy if it were...*sigh*

A/N: Thanks to angel_w for beta reading this. Any mistakes found are mine and mine alone. This last chapter folks...enjoy and please review!! 

Chapter 7

"Dios." Angelo swore softly. Tossing the magazine he was trying to read in the trash, he listened for a moment to the noise coming from downstairs. Jubilee had been gone almost a week, and Sean had decided to have a barbecue to 'stir the lads and lasses spirits up'. The only reason Jubilee had been left alone for so long was for the sole reason that Sean was afraid that if her forced her back, she would leave at the first chance and not come back. However, due to the fights that were becoming more and more frequent between Emma, Sean and Logan, Angelo was willing to bet that it wouldn't be too much longer before Jubilee would be escorted home. Most likely by a full contingent of adults insistent on getting their say. Picking up a photo from his nightstand, he looked at the image with a wry grin. It had been about a week after the accident and she was sitting on the couch in her pajama bottoms, an old Limp Bizkit t-shirt of his that she had stole, eating cereal. Her hair had been tied up in a messy ponytail, with tendrils of blue curling around her neck and it was the only picture of Jubilee that was current; which was probably why it was one of his favorites.

"Crap." Setting the frame back down on his bedside table, he grabbed his dog-eared issue of Superman and walked downstairs to where Logan was watching rugby. "Hey, Logan."

The older man grunted, never taking his eyes off the screen as men piled on top of each other in a mess of blood and bruises. 

"It's about Jubes, I think it's time someone gave her a lift home."

Logan glanced at him dismissively. "And what makes you think you know where she is?"

Angelo tossed the comic on his lap, indicating one page. "You know how Superman has a fortress of solitude?"

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Two hours later over Antarctica

"So where is she?"

Angelo glared at the man beside him. "Listen I just said she's probably somewhere high up with snow, you took it as Antarctica. Far as I know she can't even fly this far."

Wolverine resisted the urge to spear the cocky kid next to him. "So what's your great idea?"

Angelo shrugged. " Can't we just track her on the scanner? Aren't all the biosignatures programmed in..." he trailed off at the look on the older man's face. Heaving a labored sigh, Wolverine flipped on the computer and within seconds had a fix on Jubilee. 

Deep in the riddled mountains of the Himalayas, the blackbird set down in a valley. It took a few minutes for Angelo and Logan to suit up in the proper gear that was always kept in the back of the plane. Pulling on his shades, Angelo stepped out into a vast white expanse, the intensity only multiplied by the bitter cold. The two stepped out in silence, the scanner had narrowed Jubilee down to a 3 mile area, so they had to go the rest of the way on foot.

Wincing as his foot sank into the foot deep snow, Angelo sighed loudly. "I swear when this is over a certain blue haired chick is going to owe me so big."

"Shut u.." the rest of Wolverine's exclamation was drowned out in a deep rumble surrounding them. Before either of them had time to react, they were swept up in a tide of snow.

The cold hit with the force of a mountain behind it, and it took Angelo's breath away as he became engulfed in white. After the rumbles died down, he found himself trapped, suspended in a surreal world of light, snow, and the sound of his blood pounding in his ears. He couldn't move his limbs, but was able to extend a tendril of skin towards the surface for a hole to breath through. As the tiny hole suddenly became filled with air, he sucked it in greedily. Great, just great thought Angelo. Some Tibetan monk is going to find my body twenty years from now and I'll be displayed as some freak of nature in a museum somewhere. Will someone please remind me why this was good idea?

Suddenly he felt a sharp tug on his parka as he was hauled up out of the snow and deposited on an outcropping of rock that was jutting out of the snow. Wiping the snow out of his eyes, he found Logan sitting next to him, shaking the snow off.

"Let me guess, the big, bad, boys came to save little ole me?" The men grinned ruefully as Jubilee hovered in front of the them, her hands on her hips. "Why are you guys here?"

"Checking up on ya Darlin." Wolverine crouched down on the rock, scanning the area. "Like it or not, you actually have people that care about you. We wanted to make sure you were okay."

Jubilee looked at him skeptically as she landed on the rock beside them. The week seemed to have done her good, her eyes were no longer haunted and tension seemed to have eased in her stance. Angelo touched her shoulder lightly, looking her in the eyes. "So are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said thoughtfully. "I think so."

"'Quita." Angelo admonished lightly.

"Look, I killed a man, nothing more, nothing less. As for the emotion crap that comes with it," she shrugged. "that is gonna take more time. But I'm not beating myself over it either, and if anyone problem with it then tough."

"Glad to hear it." Wolverine hugged her, the pride evident in his voice. Letting her go, he returned to his survey of the landscape. "So does anyone know where the Blackbird is?"

Jubilee chuckled waving to area around them. "Anywhere under about five or six feet of snow I bet." Flexing her arms she nodded to Logan. "You hunt and I'll melt."

Several minutes later the trio were inside the newly thawed Blackbird, getting strapped in as the engines began to warm up. Snapping the buckle in place Jubilee turned to Angelo. "So how did you guys know where I was anyway? Even with the bioscanner it should have taken days at least."

Angelo tossed the comic at her. "Call it a hunch."

Blushing Jubilee threw it back at him. "It seemed like a cool idea at the time. Sides it was either that or the Mall of America and I only had fifty bucks on me."

"Mallrat." Angelo said affectionately, reaching over and tussling her hair.

"Nerd." she countered.

"Kids." sighed Wolverine. 

Jubilee smiled. "Let's go home." With that the Blackbird hovered in the air for a moment and then sped off into the distance, taking with it two tired teenagers who quickly fell asleep to the gentle hum of the engines.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*

Epilogue

Two weeks later

BOOM!

The building shuddered as a fleet of Sentinels crashed through the wall of the store. Quickly assessing the situation, Jubilee quickly called out orders. "M take the one on the left, Ange and Penny flank her. Jono take the one on the far right before he gets to the others. Quick and fast people, the middle one is mine." Trusting the others to follow her orders, Jubilee flew towards the Sentinel carefully staying out of reach, and darted forward with a volley of plasma balls that hit the man in rapid succession. Temporarily blinded by the light, he paused just long enough for Jubilee to duck in and touch the small power pack in the back. The metal began to glow and Jubilee had just enough time to shove him in a protected area before it exploded. Beside her, the rest of her teammates were taking care of what was left of their opponents and she grinned in approval. "Great job guys."

The scene shimmered and faded, and Sean walked into the room with a smile. "Aye, good job all of ye. Now go take a shower and clean up. Jubilee stay behind a moment?" Sean waited until all of the teenagers had gone before turning to her and handing her a towel. "Seems like team leader suits you. It was clean and precise, and they're working together much better now that you're back."

"Thanks, Sean." Wiping her face off, she retied her ponytail. "Everyone seems to be in synch with each other lately."

"Aye. I also wanted to make sure that you're okay with Wolverine leaving and all." Sean looked at her concerned, and she laughed lightly.

"Please! He stayed with me for over two months because I needed him. I'm not upset that he left yesterday, besides I know he'll be there for me when it counts." She started to walk off when Sean's voice stopped her.

"And what about everything else? How are you holding up?"

Jubilee turned to look at him with a sad smile. "I'm surviving, I'm living, I'm enjoying life, and my dreams are no longer nightmares. I'd say that's pretty damn good. Everything else will take time." she said matter-of-factly.

Sean peered at her intently, for once let his curiosity take over. "What did happen that week in the mountains?"

Her eyes glittered for a moment. "An old enemy became something of a friend." Throwing the towel over her shoulder, she walked off to the locker room pushing through the heavy gym doors, to where Paige and M were arguing over the best kind of shampoo. 

Later in the locker room, Jubilee sat on one of the benches until Paige and Monet had left, the room filled with steam and the scent of wildflowers. Wiping the fog off of a mirror she stared at her reflection, the glowing eyes, the shimmering blue hair around her shoulders and put on her glasses, regarding the image for a moment. Paige had offered to help color her hair back to its original black, Jubilee squinted imagining it. Looking down at her hand, she could already see the bruises start to fade and she unconsciously rubbed her tattoo. Glancing back up at the mirror, she jumped slightly at the figure standing behind her in the reflection.

"You."

"Yeah, it seems as if you don't listen to well."

"I'm not depressed anymore, well…much and everything else is okay."

A large hand picked up a strand of hair, rubbing it between his fingers. "Yer still angry about what happened." He gestured to the glasses.

Jubilee turned angrily, only to find no one there, and looked back at the mirror to see Sabertooth looking at her. "I have every right to be angry. I used to be able to go anywhere, do anything and no one would know that I was a mutant. Excuse me for being a little pissed off about that."

"You've lived a hundred lifetimes and you're still a child."

"How profound." She stalked to the shower, purposely pulling the curtain shut and turning the water on.

"Frail, did you actually think that you'd get rid of me that easily?" Sabertooth's voice trailed through the sounds of water and Jubilee humming loudly. "I'm not going away so you might as well face me."

Sighing tiredly, Jubilee shut off the water and flung open the curtain. "Are you going haunt me the rest of my life? Is that it? Great I'm cursed by a dead, hairy hamster."

"_You're _cursed?" Sabertooth muttered under his breath. Facing her he sighed. "Yer feeling all sorry fer yerself because you don't look like a normal. Well so what? Half of your precious X-men don't look like humans you've never seemed like the type to care, so why now?"

Jubilee wrapped a towel around herself and sat dejectedly on the bench. "It's not that, its just that I still feel like I cheated. That you died and because of that I got all these great powers; it doesn't seem fair." She blushed slightly regretting the childish sound of her complaint.

"Let's just say we both got what was deserved frail. As fer the hair an' the eyes think of them as reminder, of me, of death whatever." 

The steam thickened and when Jubilee looked up she found Emma looking at her with an expression of bemusement on her face. "Jubilee? I thought I felt..." She trailed off at the obviously empty room. Gathering herself together she peered at the girl. "Are you alright Jubilation?" Emma asked, perspiration starting to bead on her forehead from the steam.

Jubilee turned around. "Yeah, I actually think I am."

"I heard Paige offer to color your hair." The worry was evident in the woman's voice.

"Yeah," the word floated uncertainly in the air for a moment before she continued. "I don't think so though."

"May I ask why?"

The blue strands weaved between her fingers, and Jubilee took off her glasses staring at herself straight in the mirror, meeting her reflection's eyes for the first time since the accident. "Battle scars." she said softly and with a smile walked out of the locker room, leaving a satisfied Emma behind. The older woman smiled to herself, the girl would be just fine.

-fin-

Yeah!! I'm done! Thanks to everyone for all the great support, great reviews and guilt trips that helped me finish this.


End file.
